Switch



April 14, 1942. H. J. MURPHY SWITCH Filed March l1, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet l y WM da.

April 1 4; 1942. H. J. MURPHY 2,279,905

SWITCH Filed March l1, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 63 vclcl..

April 14, 1942. H 1 MURPHY 2,279,905

SWITCH Filed March ll, 1939 3 Shee'bS-Shee'lI 5 Inveno r: Howard Murphy l Patented Apr. 1.4, -1 942 SWITCH Howard J. Murphy, Greenwood, Mass., assignor to United-Carr Fastener Corporation, Cambridge, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application March 1I, 1939, Serial No. 261,382

(Cl. ZOO-166) 5 Claims.

' biles and the like for turning on and oil? auxiliary lights.

The main object of this invention is an improved switch comprising parts of simple construction capable of being assembled together almost entirely by hand.

A further object of my invention is an improved attaching member adapted to be assembled with a wall of a switch for securing a wire terminal to the switch in operative relation to proper parts of the switch.

Other objects and uses of my invention will be apparent from inspection of the drawings and specification hereinbelow set forth.

Referring to the drawings, in which I have illustrated preferred embodiments of my invention:

' Fig. 1 is a top plan view of my improved switch device secured to a supporting part with the switch shown in oil position;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to that of Fig. l with the switch in on position; u

Fig. 3 is a front plan view of the installation shown in Figs. l and 2 with the switch in off position;

shown in the installation of Fig. 3 looking from the right of the switch;

Fig. 5 is a bottom view of the installation shown in Figs. 1-3 with the -switch in on position;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken along the line 6-6 of Fig. 5 with a portion of the outer insulating plate cut away showing the shape of the inner insulating plate;

Fig. 6*l is a top plan view of the operating shaft forming a part of my switch device;

Fig. 7 is a section taken along the line 'I-'I of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken along the line 8-8 of Fig. 5;

Fig, 9 is a top view showing a preferred way l of integrally assembling my improved attaching member with a supporting panel;

in the art.

Fig. 10 is a bottom view of the installation comprising a support and a wire terminal attached to the support by meansof my improved attaching member;

Fig. 14 is a sectional view taken along the line I4-f-I4 of Fig. 13;

Fig. 15 is a section similar to that of Fig. 14 showing the manner in which a wire terminal is secured to a supporting panel by means of my attaching member; p

Fig. 16 is a sectional view taken along the line Iii-I6 of Fig. 13;

Fig. 17 is a top plan view of my improved attaching member per se;

Fig. 18 is a side view of the attaching member shown in Fig. 17; v

Fig, 19 is a bottom view of my improved wire terminal per se;

Fig. 20 is a side view of the wire terminal shown in Fig. 19; and

Fig. 21 is a sectional view of my improved wire terminal per se taken along the line 2I-2I of Fig. 20.

Referring in detail to the construction of my improved switch as set out in the various figures, I have shown a switch secured to a supporting panel I, which may be the dash of an automobile. The switch comprises a stationary part 2 affixed in immovable relation to the support I by means of an attaching or threaded member 3. The stationary part 2 has a supporting panel or plate 4 of insulating material carrying, in my preferred form, three wire terminals 5 to which are secured the leads or Wire conductors 5B. The lead A (Fig. 1) may run from the battery and the leads B and C (Fig. 1) to a fog light and tail light respectively of an automobile. A contact carrier part 6 (Fig. 6) is mounted opposite the stationary part 2 for reciprocable movement relative thereto and carries contacts 'I (Figs. 6 and 7) for electrical engagement with the terminals 5 of the stationary part to turn the switch on and oft' by said reciprocable movement, as will be understood by those skilled The stationary part and contact carrier part are maintained in operative relation by a fastener member 8 which, in my preferred form. is detachably assembled with the carrier part 6.

vReferring in detail to the stationary part I, the insulating plate 4 has a rectangular part 9 and a reduced portion I0 at one end forming shoulders Il -II adjacent the junction of the portions 9 and IU, as most clearly shown in Fig. 7. The rectangular portion 9 of the plate 4 has, in my preferred form, three rectangular openrela tive to each other.

ings I2 (Fig. 6) adapted to receive attaching members I3, which, in turn, provide means for detachably securing the terminals 5 to the plate 4 in operative position relative to the contacts 1 of the contact carrier part 6. The stationary part 2 is rigidly secured to the support I through means of the threaded member 3 which comprises a base portion having a flange portion I4 secured to thereduced portion I of the insulating plate 4, as by means of the rivet I5 (Fig. 6). An angularly-bent portion I6 extends from the flange portion I4 beyond the lower face I1 of the contact carrier part (Fig. 6). A hollow shank I8, which is preferably pressed from the portion I6, extends therefrom in substantially right-angular relation in a direction away from the switch device. The shank portion I8 is open at both ends providing a bearing I9 for receiving and supporting an operating shaft projecting from the contact carrier part 6. The shank is preferably externally threaded as at 2| for threaded engagement with the nut 22, as most clearly shown in Fig. 6. 'I'hus the stationary part 2 is secured to the support I through inserting the threaded shank I8 through an aperture 23 (Fig. 6) of the support, after which the nut member 22 is engaged therewith.

The attaching members I3, illustrated most clearly in Figs. 17 and 18, are preferably formed from one piece of sheet metal and are. adapted to be assembled initially with the insulating panel 4. Rigid attachment. of my preferred form of attaching member to the panel is not effected until the wire terminals are assembled therewith, as wi-ll be described. The attaching members have means-for receiving the terminals 5 and cooperate with 'the terminals 5 in a way to enable the last-mentionedV parts to be rigidly affixed to the panel. My preferred form of attaching member comprises a substantially rectangular base portion 25 having an extruded opening 26. Legs-21, integral with opposed ends of the base 25, extend downwardly out of the plane of the base 'and have support-engaging means 2B at their free ends extending outwardly Spaced spring arms 29 extend from the base portion 25 in an opposite direction to that taken by the legs 21. The arms 29-29 have portions 30-30 converging away from the base portion 25 forming shoulders for engaging the wire terminal 5 and diverging po.- tions 3I--3I adjacent their free ends forming a lead permitting easy entrance of the terminal 5 between the arms.

Referring in detail to the construction of the wire terminals 5, as most clearly shown in Figs. 19-21, they are broadly similar in form to the wire terminals described in connection with my United States co-pending application Serial No. 215,795, iiled June 25, 1938, but embody certain improvements thereover. 5 is made of one piece of sheet metal and includes a body portion 32 having a base portion 33 (Fig. 16) adapted to be disposed in relatively close spaced relation to the outer surface of the insulating panel '4 when the parts of the switch are in nal working assembly (Fig. 8). Spaced side portions -35 (Fig. 2l) extend upwardly from opposed edges of the base portion 33 and have portions 363-36 adjacent their free edges 31 extending inwardly toward each other forming a substantially cylindrical portion for receiving the insulating cover 3E of the wire con# ductor 5a. The cylindrical vportieri is formed of a predetermined size and shape to cooperate effectively with the spring arms 29-29 of the attaching member, as hereinbelow described. A contact portion 39, preferably in the form of a bump pressed from the base portion 33, extends from the base portion 33 in an opposite direction from that taken from the side portions 35-35. In final assembly of the parts, the contact portion is adapted to extend through the extruded opening 2 6 of the attaching member I3 for electrical engagement with the contacts 1 of the contact carrier part 6. A soldering terminal 4I! is provided vat one end of the -body portion 32 comprising a portion 4I (Fig. 16) extending in Each of the terminals w' substantially perpendicular relation to the base portion 33 adjacent one end thereof having wing portions 42-42 integral with the portion 4I at points spaced from the base 33 and bent to form a substantially tubular portion 43 (Fig. 21) for receiving bare wires 44 at an end of the Wire conductor 5ri whereby the conductor may be secured to the terminal 5 with the barewires in electrical engagement with the terminal through dipping the tubular portion 43 into solder to dispose the solder around the tubular portion as at 45 (Figs. 16 and 20) or through spot-welding. As a result of the particular relationship of the soldering terminal 40 and the body portion 32, wherein the soldering terminal 40 extends in substantially perpendicular relation to the axis of the body portion 32, I am enabled to make an appreciable saving in space, when the wire terminal is iinally assembled with an insulating panel, over the wire terminal of my above-mentioned application due to the fact that the walls of the switch frame, which, in the present case, comprise portions of the fastener member 8, may be brought substantially closer to the body of the wire terminals than is the case with the construction of the above-mentioned application wherein the soldering terminal projects substantially in the line of axis of the cover-engaging portion. By forming the soldering terminal 40 vof substantially tubular shape, it is possible to maintain the bare wires of the conductor in temporary attachment with the terminal prior to the nal soldering act.

Attachment of the attaching member I3 to the insulating panel I4 is preferably carried out in two steps. In the first step the arms 29--29 of Lthe attaching member are moved through the rectangular openings I2 of the panel from a position opposite the inner face 24 of the panel, as shown in Fig. 12, until they project beyond the outer surface 34 of the panel a sufficient distance to receive the body portion 32 of the wire terminal. Next the body portion 32 of the wire terminal is moved toward the diverging portions 3i-3i of the'arms 291-29 with the contact portion 39 extending toward the panel, as most clearly shown in Fig. l5. As pressure is exerted on the wire terminal in the direction of the panel, the arms 29--29 expand enabling the wire terminal to be moved into iinal attached position relative to the panel with the contact portion 33 extending through the aperture 26 of the base 25. Contemporaneously with this action the arms 29e-2i) contract to dispose the shoulders Bil-30 in final engagement with the body portion 32, as most clearly shown in Fig. i4. so as to maintain the terminal firmly in place with the contact portion E59 engaging a contact member li when the parts of the switch are in iinal assembly under the tension exerted by the spring shoulders SEL-3U upon the body portion it the same time, as a result of the relative dimem sions of the terminal and the attaching member, engagement of the shoulders 30--30 with the body portion 32 effects a drawing action causing the outwardly-extending portions 29-25 of the legs 21 of the attaching member to be drawn tightly against ther inner surface 24 of the panel whereby the parts are firmly assembled together. In my preferred form of attaching member I3 the ,arms 29--29 are spaced apart a distance slightly greater than the width of the aperture l2 of the panel through which they extend enabling them to engage resiliently the walls 24a (Figs. 11 and 15) surrounding the aperture so as to hold the attaching member in the position shown in Figs. 11 and 15 prior to assembly of the wire terminal therewith with the base portion 25 of the attaching member positioned within the opening I2 (Fig. 16). It should be understood, however, that proper assembly of the parts of the device may be effected even though there is no cooperative fastener engagement of the arms 29-29 with the walls 24a of the aperture 12.

It will be noticed that when the wire terminal is finally assembled with the panel, the contact portion 39 extends through the extruded opening 26 of the base 25 to a position beyond the plane of the laterally-extending portions 28-28, as most clearly shown in Figs. 14 and 16, so as to contact the contact members 1. In order that the stationary part 2 may present a flat surface facing the contact carrier 5, I have provided a thin insulating panel 41 of slightly greater thickness than that of the laterally-extending portions 29-29 of the attaching member disposed adjacent the inner surface 24 of the panel 4 and providing openings 49` receiving the laterallyextending portions 28h28, as most clearly shown in Figs. 6 and 7.

The contact carrier part 5 has an insulating panel 49 having a rectangular portion 50 (Fig. 5) of the same width, but of greater lengththan the rectangular portion 9 of the insulating plate 4 and Ia reduced portion 5| (Fig. 5) at one end of the same width but shorter in length than the reduced portion l of the panel 4. 'Ihe reduced portion `forms shoulders 52-52 adjacent the junction thereof with the rectangular portion 50. An opening 53 (Fig. 6) is formed in the rectangular portion 50 adjacent the reduced portion 5I for a purpose to be described. The shoulders 52-52 are in alignment with the shoulders l l-l I of the insulating plate 4 when the parts of the switch are in off position, as shown in Fig. l, but are out of alignment when the parts are in on position, as shown in Fig. 2.

The insulating panel 49 carries spaced contact members 1-1 for electrical engagement with the contact portions 99 of the terminals 5 when the switch is in on position. Each of the contact terminals 1, in my preferred form, comprises a base portion or contact portion 54 disposed adjacent the inner surface 55 of the panel 49 (Figs. 6 and 8) A pair of spaced yieldable arms 56-55 extend in angular relation to the base portion 54 of each of the contact members 1--1 through apertures 51 (Fig. 8) in the panel 49 to a position beyond the outer surface 58 of the panel to receive in detachable fastener engagement the metal ends 59 of a fuse 60. Each of the pairs of arms 55-56 has inwardly-extending shoulder portions BI-Bl (Fig. 8) whereby the fuse is maintained in assembly with the contact carrier part between the shoulders and the outer surface 59 of the panel. Relative dimensions of the contact members 1-1 and the ends 59 of the fuse serve to draw the base portions 59 of the contact members adjacent the inner surface 55 of the panel 49 upon cooperative fastener engagement of the shoulders SI-SI with the ends of the fuse, as will be understood by those skilled in the art. In order that the contact carrier part 5 may present a flat surface facing the stationary part 2, I have provided a thin insulating panel 62 preferably having the shape of the panel 49. The insulating panel 62 is disposed adjacent the inner surface 55 of the panel 49 and has openings 63 receiving the base portions 54 of the contact members 1 1 (Fig. 8).

As a means for maintaining the contact carrier part 6 and the stationary part 2 in assembled operative relation, whereby the contact carrier part may be moved in reciprocable relation to the stationary part for turning the switch on and off, I have provided a sheet metal clip-like retainer or fastener member 8. 'I'he fastener member 8 is preferably formed of one-piece sheet metal and comprises an end portion or base portion 64 and spaced spring legs 65-65 extending in substantially perpendicular relation to the base portion 54. Each of the legs 65-65 has laterally-extending flange portions 65-65 at opposite edges thereof whereby the legs have a substantially channelshaped cross-section. When the parts of my switch are finally assembled together, the panels 4 and 49 are disposed within the channel-shaped legs with the flanges of each leg engaging the outer surface 34 of the panel 4 and the outer surface 58 of the panel 49 (Fig. 8) thus maintaining the contact and stationary parts in proper facing relation, but at the same time permitting reciprocable movement of the contact carrier part relative to the stationary part. Inwardly-extending shoulders 61 are provided at the ends of the legs 65 away from the base 64 adapted to be disposed behind the shoulders 52--52 of the panel 49, thus securing the fastener member 9 in assembly with the parts.

The fastener member 8 is assembled with the contact carrier part and stationary part by first disposing the opposite ends of the insulating plates from the reduced portions within the channel-shaped legs 65-65. Engagement of the shoulders 61--61 of the legs with the edges of the insulating plates expand the legs against the natural spring tension thereof, 'I'hen the insulating plates and fastener member are moved relative to each other to pass the shoulders of the insulating plates by the shoulders 61-61 of the legs, at which time the' legs contract to dispose the shoulders 61 of the legs behind the shoulders 52-52 of the panel 49. Thus it will beseen that, as a result of the relative dimensions of the insulating panels 49 and 4, the shoulders 61-61 engage behind the shoulders 52-52 of the panel 49 of the contact carrier part in all relative positio'ns of the contact carrier part and the stationary part.I When the parts of the switch are in off position, as shown in Fig. 1, the shoulders 61-61 also engage behind the shoulders Il-I l of the insulating panel 4 limiting reciprocable movement of the contact carrier part relative to the stationary part in a direction away from the supporting panel l. Movement of the contact carrier part toward the support, as in closing the circuit, is limited by the base lli of the nut member which abuts the insulating panel 49 when the contact terminals 1-1 are in electrical contact with the terminals 5 5, as shown in Fig. 6.

The operating shaft 20, in my preferred form,

lug portions 10 are adapted to be extended into the opening 53 of the insulating panel 49 when the shaft is in assembly with the contact carrierl part and an opening 1I is provided in the shaft intermediate the lug portions 'l0 and the tubular body portion for receiving a portion 12 of the insulating panel 49 intermediate the opening 53 and the end of the panel, as shown in Fig. 6. Thus longitudinal movement of the operating shaft relative to the panel 6 is limited by the aforesaid cooperative engagement of the lugs 'llll0 of the shaft within the opening 53 of the panel and the portion 'l2 of the panel within the opening 1l of the shaft. Lateral movement of the shaft relative to the panel 6 is prevented by the bearing i8 of the threaded member 3 which receives the operating shaft within its bore i9 and maintains the shaft in substantially parallel relation to the panel 6 in all positions of the Contact carrier part relative to the stationary part. Thus it will be seen that by my invention the operating shaft is assembled with the insulating panel 6 without the use of tools simply by entering the lug portions 10-10 within the opening 53 of the panel and holding the same therein until the shaft is extended into the bearing of the nut member 3.

Although I have illustrated and described preferred forms of my invention, I do not wish to be limited thereby because the scope of my invention is best defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. In an electrical device the combination comprising an insulating panel having an aperture, a wire conductor having a terminal at one end thereof, an attaching member secured to said panel, said attaching member having a base portion disposed on one side of said panel and a pair of opposed yieldable arms extending from said base through'said aperture of said panel and beyond an opposite side thereof, `said terminal being disposed between said arms and normally in abutting engagement with said last-mentioned side of said panel, said arms having means engaging said terminal to hold the same in said abutting engagement with said panel between said terminal-engaging means and said panel.

2. In an electrical device, the combination comprising an insulating panel having an aperture, a wire conductor having a terminal at one end thereof and an attaching member assembled with said panel, said attaching member having a base portion disposed on one side of said panel and' a pair of opposed yieldable arms extending from said base through said aperture of said panel and beyond an opposite side thereof, said terminal being disposed between said arms and normally in abutting relation to said last-mentioned side of said panel and said arms having inwardly extending portions spaced from said panel and engaging said terminal to hold the same in said abutting engagement with said panel between said inwardly extending portions and said panel but permitting movement of said terminal relative to said panel While maintaining said terminal in assembly with said attaching member.

3. In an electrical device the combination comprising an insulating panel having an aperture, a wire conductor having a terminal at one end thereof, and an attaching member assembled with said panel, said attaching member having a ba'se portion disposed on one side of said panel and a pair of opposed yieldable arms extending from said base through said aperture of said l, paneland beyond an opposite side thereof, said terminal being disposed between said arms and normally in abutting relation to said last-mentioned side of said panel and said arms having portions converging toward the ends thereof away from said base providing shoulders facing said panel, said converging portions engaging said wire terminal to maintain the same in movable assembly with said panel between said shoulders and said panel, and said base and said shoulders being spaced a -predetermined distance vrelative to one dimension of said wire terminal to draw said base tightly against said first side of said panel when said wire terminal is in final assembly with said attaching member.

4. In an electrical device the combination comprising an insulating panel having top and bottorn, surfaces, said panel having an aperture, a wire terminal having a hollow elongated body portion and a contact portion projecting outwardly at one side of said body portion in transverse relation to the length of said body portion. an attaching member secured to said panel, said attaching member having an apertured base portion and means integral with said base portion engaging said bottom surface of said panel, spaced yieldable arms extending from said base portion through said aperture of said panel and beyond said top surface of said panel, said body portion of said terminal being disposed between said arms and normally in abutting engagement with said top surface of said panel with said contact portion extending into said aperture of saidbase, and said arms having shoulder means spaced from said panel and engaging said body portion to hold said wire terminal in releasable assembly with said panel between said shoulder means and said panel.

5. In an electrical device the combination comprising an insulating panel having top and bottom surfaces, said panel having an'aperture, a wire terminal having a hollow elongated body portion and a contact portion projecting outwardly at one side of said body portion in transverse relation to the length of said body portion, an attaching member secured to said panel, said attaching member having an apertured base portion and means integral with said base portion engaging said bottom surface of said panel, spaced yieldable arms extending from said base portion through said aperture of said panel and beyond said top surface of said panel, said body portion of said terminal being disposed between said arms and normally in abutting engagement with said top surface of said panel with said contact portion extending into said aperture of said base, and said arms having portions converging toward the ends thereof away from said base providing shoulders facing said panel, said shoulders engaging said body portion of said terminal to maintain said terminal in releasable assembly with said panel between said shoulders and said panel.-

HOWARD J. MURPHY. 

